Ceiling sprinkler



W. E. AULT CEILING SPRINKLER Filed April 18. 1967 Aug. 5, 1969 Wayne EAult.

v ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,459,266 CEILING SPRINKLER Wayne E. Ault, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to Automatic Sprinkler Corporation of America, Cleveland, Ohio Filed Apr. 18, 1967, Ser. No. 631,713 Int. Cl. A62c 37/12 US. Cl. 16937 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The principal object of the invention is the provision of a fire extinguishing sprinkler that may be flush mounted in a ceiling, and which will operate at a predetermined temperature to release and direct fire extinguishing fluid in a desirable pattern.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a sprinkler for flush mounting in a ceiling and formed of relatively inexpensive, easily assembled parts requiring a minimum of machining in production.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a fire extinguishing sprinkler for flush mounting in a ceiling incorporating an adjustable closure plate accommodating the sprinkler at various locations therein and relative to the fixed location of the ceiling.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away and parts in cross section illustrating the sprinkler and a portion of a ceiling through which the same is mounted.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section through the sprinkler shown in FIGURE 1 and illustrating the same in operated position.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan of a deflector and valve element portion of the sprinkler seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 and taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4- is a vertical section through a flanged annular member forming a part of the combination valve and deflector used in the sprinkler.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the part of the sprinkler seen in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section through a portion of the tubular body of the sprinkler seen in FIGURES l and 2, and detailing the lower end thereof.

FIGURE 7 is a cross section on line 7--7 of FIG- URE 6.

By referring to the drawings, and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that a section of a ceiling 10 has been illustrated with an aperture 11 formed therein of a size suflicient to permit the installation of a fire extinguishing sprinkler. The sprinkler comprises a main body portion 12 which has an upstanding tubular extension 13 thereon which is provided with an exterior thread pattern 14 so that the same may be turned into a pipe fitting comprising a source of fire extinguishing fluid (not shown). The main body member 12 has an annular shoulder 15 with several depressions circumferentially spaced thereabout, one of the depressions being illustrated in FIGURE 1 and indicated by the numeral 16. A cylin- 3,459,266 Patented Aug. 5, 1969 "Ice drical body shell 17 is positioned on the annular shoulder 15 of the body member 12 in close fitting relation, and portions thereof crimped into the depressions 16 so as to hold the shell 17 in assembled relation in the device. The lower end of the cylindrical body shell 17 has an annular shell facing member 18 afllxed thereto as by welding. The shell facing member 18 has spaced upstanding annular flanges 19 and 20 thereon with circumferentially spaced portions of the inner flange 20 being cut away and folded downwardly against the facing member 18 to form circumferentially positioned locating lugs 21. These are best illustrated in the cross section comprising FIGURE 6 of the drawings.

By referring again to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that one of a pair of levers 22 is shown engaged in a two-part soldered fusible element 23 and with the upper end of the lever 22 having a hook engaged over one of the lugs 21. It will thus be seen that the shell facing member 18 and the lugs 21 formed from the inner vertical flange 20 also form the support means for the fusible element 23 and the pair of levers 22, as will be understood by those skilled in the sprinkler art.

The inner opposed sides of the pair of levers 22 are each notched as at 24 and they support on these notches a retaining disc 25, which is circular with oppositely disposed notches in its peripheral edge to accommodate the levers 22 heretofore referred to. The central portion of the retaining disc 25 has an upstanding circular boss 26 thereon, which locates a washer 27. The washer 27 is formed so that its inner radius lies on a lower horizontal plane than its outer radius and it thus possesses resilient characteristics which are useful as hereinafter described.

Still referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that a combination valve element and deflector 28 is supported by the washer 27 in registry with the lower flanged end of a tubular body member 29. The upper end of the tubular body member 29 is secured to the body member 12 in watertight relation and in alignment with a fluid passageway 30 therethrough, which is thereby extended downwardly by the tubular body member 29. A sealing gasket 31 is positioned between the combination valve element and deflector 28 and the flanged lower end of the tubular body member 29, as illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings.

It will also be seen that the combination valve element and deflector 28 has an annular flange 32 which is horizontally disposed with respect to the conical center portion of the combination valve element and deflector 28. A plurality of rods 33 are positioned in circumferentially spaced openings in the flange 32 and secured as by upsetting the material of the rods 33. The rods 33 extend upwardly and are similarly secured to a deflector retaining cup 34 which is actually an annular member positioned for vertical movement in the area between the cylindrical body shell 17 and the tubular body member 29.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings the deflector retaining cup 34 and the rods 33 which are secured thereto, as well as to the combination valve element and deflector 28, are

shown in nested position in the area defined by the cylindrical body shell 17 and the assembly is held by the fusible element 23 which, as will be understood by those skilled in the sprinkler art, holds the pair of opposed levers 22 under tension so that they in turn hold the retaining disc 25 against the tensioning washer 27 which in turn holds the combination valve element and deflector 28 in sealing relation against the flanged lower end of the tubular body member 29.

It will thus be obvious that fire extinguishing fluids such as water, introduced into the fluid passageway 30 of the device, will be held by the assembly and subject to release upon the fusing of the fusible element 23 which separates into two parts upon the heat fusing of the solder normally joining them, and permits the levers 22 to move away from one another and therefore fall out of their position as illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings where they hold the assembly in Watertight relation. When this occurs the retaining disc 25, tensioning washer 27 and the levers 22 and the fusible element components 23 all fall away from the assembly and the water pressure moves the combination valve element and deflector 28 downwardly to a position as illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. By referring thereto it will be seen that the rods 33 and the deflector retaining cup 34 have moved downwardly so that the deflector retaining cup 34 rests on the upper peripheral edge of the inner flange 20 heretofore referred to. In such position it is supported by the cylindrical body shell 17 and it will be observed that the conical portion of the combination valve element and deflector 28 is positioned directly below and in alignment with the lower end of the tubular body member 29 so that fire extinguishing liquid flowing downwardly therethrough will be appropriately deflected thereby.

By referring now to FIGURE 3 of the drawing, it will be seen that the combination valve element and deflector 28 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced notches 35 formed in the annular flange 32 thereof, so that it has the desirable configuration of an effective deflector, as known in the art.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that when the sprinkler assembly as hereinbefore described, is engaged in a fitting on a water supply pipe positioned above a suspended ceiling, for example, it will be necessary to close the opening 11 in the ceiling 10 as seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, with respect to the sprinkler assembly. In order to do this and to accommodate various differences in height that may exist between the installed sprinkler and the lower surface of the ceiling 10, a ceiling plate 36 is positioned around and about the cylindrical body shell 17 and urged upwardly relative thereto by a coil spring 37 positioned on the member 18 and between the outer surface of the cylindrical body shell 17 and the flange 19.

By referring to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, wherein the ceiling plate 36 may be seen in cross section, it will be observed that it has a vertical section 38 with an inturned flange 39 on the upper end thereof, and that the upper portion of the coil spring 37 bears directly against the inturned flange 39. It will thus be evident that the spring 37 will move the ceiling plate 36 upwardly against the lower surface of the ceiling 10 so as to compensate for any difference in the location of the sprinkler assembly and the lower surface of the ceiling 10.

It will thus be seen that a wire extinguishing sprinkler for flush ceiling mounting has been disclosed which meets the several objects of the invention, and having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A sprinkler for flush ceiling mounting consisting of a pair of radially spaced, thin wall cylindrical shells of different diameters, one of which is placed centrally of the other, a fitting engaging the upper ends of said cylindrical shells, a combination valve element and deflector normally registering with the lower end of the centrally located cylindrical shell, means including levers and a fusible element normally engaged on the other of said cylindrical shells for holding said combination valve element and deflector in a first position, and means normally disposed in said radial space and movable with said combination valve element and deflector when freed by said holding means to a position engaging said other cylindrical shell for supporting said combination valve element and deflector in a second position spaced with respect to said centrally positioned cylindrical shell.

2. The sprinkler of claim 1 and wherein the centrally located cylindrical shell has a lower end terminating inwardly of the lower end of the other cylindrical shell, and said combination valve element and deflector is normally within said lower end of said other cylindrical shells.

3. The sprinkler of claim 1 and wherein an annular ceiling plate is positioned around the lower end of said first mentioned cylindrical shell for coaxial movement relative thereto.

4. The sprinkler of claim 1 and wherein spring means on said first mentioned cylindrical shell biases said annular ceiling plate upwardly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,558,450 6/1951 Martin 16937 2,591,872 4/1952 Rider 169-42 X 3,195,647 7/1965 Campbell et a1. 169-40 X 3,198,258 8/1965 Werner l6937 M. HENSON WOOD, 112., Primary Examiner BERNARD BELKIN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 169-41, 42 

